I think you need a reverse seat for the back of the RC just like in the old days..


Lol

 

I learned to drive a truck in a Mack with a quadruplex, after that everything was easy. I now have a service truck with an Allison, and I hate it. I end up shifting it manually to keep it locked in whatever gear pulls a grade well. The really miserable part about the squishbox is that it doesn't hold back well downgrade, or decides to upshift by itself. I thank the Millennials for the increase in 2 pedals vs 3 in new rides.

 

Yeah the Allison trannies do have some issues when pulling loads. I was pulling severe mountains with one regularly and you had to lock it in the selected gear and just let it scream to have any braking with the engine brake. Same with the hills.....find the gear that pulls the best and lock it in. But even with all that I would still prefer an "auto" shifted truck to the 18spd I'm using now.

 

I have to say the 18speed Roadranger Single overdrive was my favorite. The least favorite would be the super 10. I hated that thing! It didn't help that the truck it was in didn't have enough power to pull the wide splits. The truck with the 18 speed had a 500 horse 3406 Cat.

 

Char. and I got the RC on the lift and the old V8 dual exhaust off, E-brake cable bracket, fuel tank loosened up and all but three of the body mounts off. The other cab mounts are spinning and will need to be held with a socket from the inside as well.
I also hit all the nuts and bolts with WD-40 on the rear axle, brake lines, front seat bolts, and transmission crossmember that I will need to take off. The underside of the body was slathered with some, now hardened, rubberized undercoating back in the 70's so welding on the frame and the floor pans might be a little smokey. I will have fun trying to scrape and grind that stuff off on the areas I need to weld.

The dual exhaust, and vintage Sunpro tach we also pulled from the dash is getting donated to my buddy Walter for his '83 gasser RC build.

After a little snowshoe in the woods behind the house with the dogs, we will head back out the shop for another little push before dinner.

 

..........
Your welcome, Ollie

 

Thanks T-man!
The front frame has seen better days. I have a clean diesel D-250 frame I can cut in half to fix it up with.

Yeah and the mandatory picture of the dogs "fighting" over who gets the favorite rug.

 

Well, your "welded" front end made me want to do some welding. Spent an hour or so, playing around with my welder, and since it's all in the name of "having fun", I guess I could be the one who welded your frame some many moons ago, when I lived in texas and worked at a body shop.


Considering I've never been to texas, I guess I'm giving a stretch to this idea.

 

Reminds me of when I worked at a frame building company. We had to use welding rod on top of the frame to heat it while the front and back end were propped up. When it cooled it would have a upward curve in front and back to help keep it straight when it was loaded.

I've been through Texas lots of times. Just remember to lay in a stock of CD's because in west Texas there are no radio stations that speak english.

 

Lots of snow up here today. It looks like we got 2 feet of snow up here in the past two days.
After plowing this afternoon I had some time in the shop and help from my neighbor/friend Walter.

We got the last three cab bolts out, brakes lines removed and saved for the build as they where nice original pieces. We then pulled the front and back seats and removed 1/2 of the old gross carpet to gut extra weight in the cab for pulling it and access for welding the floors.

The old 727 2wd auto was pulled and the frame was rolled out from under the tub. The tub can stay on the lift as I weld the patches needed on the floors. I rolled the frame to a spot in the shop where I can cut it in half and have it welded back up.

 

Sounds like a fun time. Can't wait to see more of it.

Too bad you took all that snow from us. We would have taken a foot of it, as all we got was a light skiff, barely coating grassy surfaces.

 

BITE YOUR TONGUE! Bring on the heat I say!!

 

The donor 2wd D-250 gave up the front frame section yesterday. It was Saw-Z-All'ed in half and then the front half was dragged into the shop like a two wheeled chariot. The donor frame was buried in the 30+ inches of snow we got here in the past 10 days. The tires where just lumps in the snow.

All fuel / brake lines and wires where pulled off the RC frame and lots of measurements where taken. The frame is leveled out and on jack stands several inches off the shop floor.
I used a paint pen to make the cut marks on the frame. After laying out the cuts to be made it was dinner time.

I will take a few more measurements and notes today, then it will be time to man up and make the commitment cuts to make the two frames one. Walter will stop by tonight after work to help roll the replacement 8 lug front frame section into place and drink my beer.


I am hoping to get the frame welded up next week, just in time for Wrench Week the following week.

 

I always tell myself "God hates a coward" as I stand there, saw in hand . . .

Looks like you are making good progress, despite having to stack all that snow!

 

The frames have been cut and the pieces now match up near perfectly.
I will need to do a tiny bit [1/16 or less] of grinding on a couple of high points, but mostly just add the beveled edge to help for the welding surface.
Front to back and square measurements are right on.